We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for…
““We live in an age in which saving is subterfuge for spending. No doubt you sincerely believe that there is margarine in your refrigerator because it is more economical than butter. But you are wrong. Look in your bread drawer. How many boxes of cute snack crackers are there? How many packages of commercial cookies reeking of imitation vanilla badly masked with oil of coconut? How many presweetened breakfast cereals? Tell me now that you bought the margarine because you couldn't afford butter. You see - you can't. You bought the bread drawer of goodies because you were conned into them; and you omitted the butter because you were conned out of it. The world has slipped you culinary diagrams instead of food. It counts on your palate being not only wooden, but buried under ten coats of synthetic varnish as well. Therefore, the next time you go to check out of the supermarket, simply put back one box of crackers, circle round the dairy case again, swap your margarine for a pound of butter and walk up to the checker with your head held high, like the last of the big spenders. This is no time for cost-counters: It is time to be very rich or very poor - or both at once.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Convenient, processed foods mask true costs; choosing real, wholesome foods is an act of resistance against consumer deception.
In simple terms: Processed foods hide true cost; choose real food.
Key Takeaway
Choose natural foods over cheap substitutes.
Themes
consumerism
food choices
authenticity
Mood
thoughtful
determined
Type
motivational
practical
When to use this quote
- grocery shopping
- meal planning
- budgeting
Key Concepts
processed foods
economic deception
nutrition
Questions to Reflect On
- What small step can you take toward healthier eating?
- How does awareness of food origins affect your choices?
A Different Perspective
Convenience often outweighs health, making change hard.